


I understand what you're going through.

by CrepefilledBungolos



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Daddy issues for dustin, F/M, I also have a thing for making el very sad which is not okay, Im tired, Underrated friendship babies, but Dustin understands her, i love them both so much, i think, i'll work on it, idk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-05-29 18:15:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15078857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrepefilledBungolos/pseuds/CrepefilledBungolos
Summary: Terry Ives falls very ill, and something in El tells her that that's the last thing her mother won't be able to overpass. Only opening her once healing wounds.But Dustin understands what she's going through.After all, he had gone through it himself.(One Shot)





	I understand what you're going through.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is inspired by @TurtleNovas work called "Agreeable Perfidy", It really made be remember that Dustin doesn't have a dad for a reason.
> 
> This is some back story to that
> 
> It's also super cheesy but whatever, hope you enjoy

She stands still, between her damp eyelashes are red blood shot veins spiraling around her empty brown eyes. Her stare locks the enclosure in front of her. The white tiled wall that holds too many incubus memories in the back of her head of when life was harder.

But, it doesn’t mean it isn’t easy either.

Her creamy white hand unclaws the cheap wooden chair and wipes one of the wandering tears down her cheek. She gives a sad look to the women in the white gurney. Her eyes closed, her breathing not of her own, but from the machine next to her. El can somehow feel that the small beckon of life from her mother was no longer there, now she was just a body. A body not able to handle its own.

The door creaks open, causing her to whip her head away from Terry.

“Hey, Ellie” He states softly, the door slowly closing behind him. He pops in the pale white room, his bright graphic shirt and neon red and blue hat, hiding under them a mane of soft curls. The colors make her feel less trapped than before.

She gives him the best smile she can, only one of the corners of her mouth ride up, it turns out to be a sad smile more than anything.

“Hi, Dustin” She says quietly

He takes slow steps towards her when she turns her head back to her mother. The boy eyes her to see the best approach, he takes off the hat and smooths over his drawn out locks of hair before placing it back on his head and taking a seat next to his friend.

They’re silent for a second, the only sound in the room is a whisper of machines working, contrivance light breathing and the sound of the air duct bringing in the pure scent of medicine and lemon scented cleaners.

“I’ve always hated hospitals.” Dustin says, but it's soaked in pure honesty.

El turns to him with her eyes nearly blank “I haven’t been to many hospitals.” She pauses and gently shakes her head “But, I don’t like them much. The walls, they remind me of the lab.”

Another pause stretches between them as they focus on the body in the bed, before Els fill with tears again and she looks back at Dustin

“What am I going to when she stops breathing, Dustin?” She croaks out

His eyes widen and he shakes his head 

“You don’t know if she’s going to, Ellie.” He places a soft hand on her shoulder

His comment causes her to nearly turn her whole body in her chair and looks at him 

“No, It’s like- It’s like I can Feel it- Somehow” He hands gesture to her chest, where her heart stands. “I Just” Her eyes search his before dropping to the fidgeting hands in her lap

“El.” she doesn’t respond until he places his hand over hers

“You know why I wear this stupid hat?” That causes El to look up at him. She hesitates, then shakes her head and Dustin takes a deep breath and continues to speak

“In the third grade, me and my dad went to the zoo after school, we ate ice cream and he took me to see Moonracker for like the third time” His eyes drop to the hand that holds hers with a sad chuckle.

“We were walking back home, we walked down this street and the car was supposed to stop on the red light. But… he kept- speeding up. By the time we noticed it was really too late to move anywhere else that wouldn’t get us both hit.” 

El watches his eyes flood, droplets sneaking out of the corners and roll down his chin. She had never heard him talk about his father before, neither had the party spoken about it. It’s obviously a very personal subject, but he shares it with her, because a part of her understands.

“And so he pushed me out of the way.” Dustin wiped his teary blue eyes with his other hand, El squeezes his hand affectionately.

“He spent a few weeks in the hospital, in a coma. Until one day he just woke up, well for a few hours, draining all his energy before he eventually…Anyway, he gave me his hat, it was really cheesy when you look at it now.”

“Dustin” she says softly 

“The point it El” He looks up “I understand what you feel. I’m not going to tell you she won’t pass, because I don’t know that” He shakes his head

“But, I can tell you that if she does, I’ll be here for you, we all will” He gives her a small, teary eyed smile, and she returns it before reaching over and hugging him tightly.

“Thank you” she croaks into his shoulder.

He rubs her back, you can nearly hear the “You’ll be fine,Ellie” in his movements

When Mike races in to the hospital room with his eyes filled with worry and love, El hugs him tightly as he tells her everything will be okay. They all wait for news, the others show up soon after, and they sit there for a very long time.

When the machine starts to beep out of control and what seems like dozens of nurses rush in, kicking the kids, Hopper, and Joyce out of the room. Dustin holds her and when they hear the flat line her sobs only worsen, and his hold only tightens. The party members all console El in a little group as she cries and cries.  
\--  
When the sky twists with thick grey clouds and the spring grass looks more dull and dry than it had ever been. They all stand in the field, covered with dozens of tombstones in every direction. Mikes arm looped around El’s shoulder, but she still holds Dustins hand when the pope speaks his goodbye to Terry Ives and how she will be missed.  
\--  
Days pass and pass and El slowly but surely learns to heal, and when she’s most hurt and crying, blaming herself for not being able to do something.

Dustin’s there, squeezing her shoulder or holding her hand, hugging her tightly.

“We’re all here for you, Ellie” He had always told her “I’m always here for you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Tell what you think please? :)


End file.
